Today's Kool Idea: EZ Steam Grill Universal Steaming Insert

The Daily Kool has fallen in love again...with hot dogs! Hot dogs, you ask? We recently took a trip back to New York City and relived a tradition from our younger professional days. You guessed it. The "dirty" dog. You know what we're talking about. Those amazing hot dogs you get on the street corner for a couple of dollars...piping hot dog, freshly steamed buns and all the luscious toppings you can get on top. Getting hungry yet? There's just something about the "dirty" New York City water that makes those hot dogs taste absolutely amazing. We can't figure out what it is, but a "dirty" dog is an experience that everyone who visits the city should have. Your life will never be the same. We just wish we could recreate this hot dog nirvana at home.

Thanks to a local Atlanta inventor, now we can get pretty close. We came across Chris Schutte on QVC last week, demonstrating his innovation, the EZ Steam Grill universal steaming insert. We were intrigued enough to go out and do a little more research. Frankly, the man himself is as inspiring as his invention. It seems that after becoming a victim of today's struggling economy in 2008, the suddenly unemployed father of two was able to turn adversity into profit with a dream fifteen years in the making. And it all started with a typical man's love for the stadium hot dog.

This two-piece combination set comes with two universal steaming inserts (6.5" and 8.75") that are adjustable to fit any medium to large pot to make a perfect hot dog in less than five minutes. Simply place the insert in the pot and boil some water. The "grill" rack design allows you to slip a couple of hot dogs into the water through the cross-shaped center opening to boil, place the buns on top of the EZ Steam Grill, cover and cook for a few minutes. That's all there is to it, folks.

Not ones to be impressed with a one dish wonder (no matter how addicting), it's nice to know that we can use the EZ Steam Grill universal steaming insert to prepare a host of delicious meals besides the hot dog. Imagine the ease of preparing a yummy dish of steamed salmon, tender-crisp broccoli and fettuccine alfredo in a single pot. Or spice up some chicken and asparagus to steam and plate with already prepared brown rice. Love steamed lobster tails with melted butter? A little creativity is all it takes to get a beautiful and healthy meal with the EZ Steam Grill. We love how much versatility this product adds to our existing pots. Keep in mind though, this product does not seem to be designed to feed a larger family at once. Plan on cooking for about 2-3 people for the more complex meals, unless of course you use two pots and both inserts. Hot dogs only take a few minutes, so you could probably do a quick batch for a larger crowd, doing two or three at a time (per insert).

The EZ Steam Grill universal steaming insert guarantees a perfect hot dog every time. Easy to use, reasonably priced (around $15 for the set of two) and oh, so convenient, this "kool" idea is the next best thing to having your very own New York or stadium hot dog vendor. Now, if we could only arrange to have the city's "dirty" water shipped to us regularly, our lives would be perfect...well, almost.

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